AK on the GO

Alaskan adventure at its best at the Valdez May Day Fly In.

It’s not the average Mother’s Day weekend, I’ll admit. Peering into the guts of an Alaskan bush airplane and schmoozing with Carhartt-clad pilots while noshing on a cheeseburger at tarmac’s edge. But I’ll be a monkey’s mother if it wasn’t one of the best three days I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing with my two men.

The Valdez May Day Fly In, now in it’s fifth year of amusing bush pilots and the town of Valdez with skill and bravery was a festival atmosphere of the Alaskan kind, and anyone seeking a bit of 49th state authenticity would be nuts to bypass the charm.

Always the second weekend in May (according to those in the know), the Fly In is part community-festival, part motorhead convention, and all Alaska family. Kids mingle with dogs who mingle with their owners who mingle with FAA and NOAA personnel, all bent on one agenda; flying low and slow over the little community of Valdez. Add some local foodies, an original Moonwalk for the kiddies, a little big of music, and gosh golly, we have a party.

Happy passengers aboard Era's Dash 8

In the true spirit of the event, AK Fam chose to fly to the event (well, okay, not really, but sometimes I just hate driving all day, especially with AK Dad still unable to manage the stick shift of AK Jetta), courtesy of our pals at Era Alaska. Our spiffy Dash 8 ferried us from Anchorage to Valdez in a mere 35 minutes of smooth and scenic flying over stunning mountain vistas still blanketed with snow. Promptly deciding upon arrival that the Era Fly Away Rewards program was just the ticket to future family harmony, I signed up using their easy-peasy internet instructions and viola! I’m part of the team.

Lodging at the Fly In is relatively easy to obtain; most pilots stay with their planes like cowboys sleep next to their trusty steeds, so making reservations is a snap. Try the Best Western/Valdez Harbor Inn right on the harbor; with a 2 for 1 coupon in the Alaska TourSaver book, its a weekend’s lodging for the price of an overnight. Sweet. The Totem Inn is another lovely option, especially for their big old breakfast guaranteed to fuel up the kids until lunch, or at least 10 a.m. We like the friendly staff, the comforting vittles, and the kid menu/coloring page provided promptly upon seating. Yessss! Totem is located at East Egan Drive, just around the corner from the boat yard.

Admission to the Fly In is FREE, and so are shuttles to/from downtown Valdez. Drivers are all local volunteers who will take a family wherever they need to go, a lovely bonus with tired kiddos. We packed some snacks, drinks, and the warm clothing (yes, early spring can be chilly, and it was) for AK Kid, along with some small toys for the brief period he grew tired of watching planes take off and land.

Helicopter tours of the community and Mineral Creek and Valdez Glacier areas were offered for a paltry $25/15 min, $50/30 min. I say paltry because a trip in a whirly-bird is so incredibly worth the dough. I mean it. Nothing except perhaps hang gliding will bring one as close to the curve of Earth than a ride up and over a ridge line mixed with a roller-coaster turnaround.

Ski trails as seen from a helicopter high above Valdez.

The true value of attending a May Day Fly In is the immersion into Alaska bush pilots’ lives; scattered here and there around the state, these men and women perform maneuvers that rival cropdusting cohorts in the lower 48. We saw short take-off and landing contests, flour-bombing, and wandered endlessly among the hundreds of small planes neatly lined up along the airstrip. The Coast Guard Kodiak station flew in their enormous C-130 and a helicopter, too, and they made an impressive presence at the end of the runway.

A swooping turn at the May Day Fly in and Air Show.

We ended our stay with the flight home, somehow smarter about airplanes and with a healthy respect for this hybrid job/lifestyle that brings man (or woman) and machine to their highest form of compatibility. Can’t argue with that, and I can’t think of a more interesting, experiential, and truly amazing way to spend a Mother’s Day. Nice work, AK Dad and Kid. Nice work, indeed.

OH, almost forgot. Miss our show last week? Catch the podcast here, where we talk about another lovely little seaside charmer of a town, Seward! See you all tomorrow on the Travelgram Show, KOAN AM 1020/FM 95.5 and streamed live HERE.

Valdez, Alaska is beautiful any time of year.

Only two more days until AK Fam packs up and heads toward the beautiful fjords and scenic vistas of our 2010 Numero Uno destination, Valdez. Yes, we’re going, even though snow still rests upon the towering mountains and mud predominates hiking trails and yards; because it’s springtime, and AK Fam, like most Alaskans, is jumping like a moose on hot parking lot to go someplace. And what a place!

Mother’s Day weekend usually marks the beginning of the summer season in Alaska; lodges shake off a winter’s collection of  grime to polish up in time for the first round of cruise ship passengers, tour companies begin training their newest cadre of drivers/guides, and seasonal attractions start opening doors to the thousands of visitors who flock through their hallowed halls each year.

Valdez is slower than some to begin all-out preparations, mostly due to the fact that this little community usually is slammed by snowfall resulting in a slow descent of white stuff. No cruise ships dock here, either, so Valdez and its residents have a bit of extra time to come out of the winter-fog and make ready a summer of adventure in a place with a mantra of “field-tested, Alaskan-approved”.

Our friends at Era will whisk AK Fam to Valdez in 45 minutes. Nice.

AK Fam has been planning our Mother’s Day trip to Valdez since before we left from the last visit last summer. Held each spring, the Valdez May Day Fly-In is famous, mostly due to the diversity of pilots and planes that hold the attention of everyone, young and old, for three days of swooping, diving, and showing off for our benefit. How cool is that? Beginning with our flight to the tiny Valdez airport via our friends at Era, AK Fam will take a plane ride (HEY! Great deal, short sightseeing trips are only $35/ $25 for moms on Sunday), inspect the innards of vintage and late model flying machines, and watch a flour-bomb contest. Yes, it’s flour so nobody gets killed. We will, of course, report back to you on this unique portion of the weekend.

If we can drag AK Kid away from the airplanes, we might even take a short hike on some of the lower trails already free of snow and ice. A favorite among our family is the Dock Point Trail, beginning in town near the boat launch and a perfect way to stretch one’s legs and see a bit of the Valdez view so famous with visitors. A short, .75 mile loop that takes even us only 30 minutes to complete, a family can also count on some rock-turning on the beach before or after the hike.

Checking out a salmon stream along the paved pathway leading out of town.

Another lovely walk (or bike, or scooter, or skateboard) is the newish paved trail that departs from downtown Valdez along the Richardson highway, passing a salmon stream, the tidal flats, and some pastoral scenery that boggles the mind. We’ve seen bears here, so keep a close eye out, according to Dave Petersen of the Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau. Travel loudly and together so as not to surprise the still-sluggish bruins and their family unit.

If the weather is, ahem, less than spectacular (but you know how we feel about that; bring the raingear and do it anyway), check out the Valdez Museum at 217 Egan Drive downtown. Still operating under winter hours, it pays to call ahead, but this museum is a great introduction to the history and industry of Valdez, and there’s some great machinery to look upon as well. 907-835-2764.

Yikes! A big polar bear captures AK Kid's attention at the Whitney Museum.

The Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum on the campus of Prince William Sound Community College is an awesome example of Alaska’s wild life and wildlife. Absolutely incredible displays of Eskimo kayaks and umiaks are on hand, and a beautiful showing of Native-carved ivory so intricate you won’t believe the detail. Don’t forget about the polar bears, either, as AK Kid found out when we visited last year. Call ahead for hours. 907-834-1690.

For a complete rundown of Valdez-ish fun, check out the CVB at 200 Chenega Street, where helpful volunteers will create an itinerary for you and answer any question at all. Like, when does the Harbor Cafe open?